A Covert Affair

Any disappointment in this account of the inner workings of the OSS during WWII and the postwar McCarthy spy hunts will be with the text, not with Jan Maxwell's narration. Maxwell's clear voice, crisp pacing, and ease with several foreign languages create an easy-to-follow presentation for the listener. She wisely employs pacing and intonation to distinguish individuals. Much of the material is gleaned from correspondence between OSS members. But, in spite of the book's subtitle, "The Adventures of Julia and Paul Child in the OSS," there's little about them until well into the second half of the book. Julia's fans will find this meal unsatisfying. M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine